Toughened glass fabrication method and toughened glass fabricated thereby

Abstract

A toughened glass fabrication method in which the productivity of a large toughened glass and the strength variation of the toughened glass can be improved and a toughened glass fabricated thereby. The toughened glass fabrication method includes the steps of mounting jigs on an upper surface and an undersurface of a raw glass such that an injection space through which a gel-type salt mixture is to be injected is defined between each of the jigs and the raw glass, injecting the gel-type salt mixture into the injection spaces, and heat-treating the raw glass on which the jigs are mounted.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A toughened glass fabrication method comprising:
 mounting jigs on an upper surface and an undersurface of a raw glass such that an injection space through which a salt mixture gel is to be injected is defined between each of the jigs and the raw glass, thereby dispensing with a salt mixture containing bath for dipping the raw glass therein; 
 injecting the salt mixture gel into the injection spaces; and 
 heat-treating the raw glass on which the jigs are mounted. 
 
     
     
       2. The toughened glass fabrication method of  claim 1 , wherein the salt mixture gel comprises an alkali metal ion salt and an inorganic oxide. 
     
     
       3. The toughened glass fabrication method of  claim 2 , wherein the alkali metal ion salt comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of a nitride, a chloride and a sulfate. 
     
     
       4. The toughened glass fabrication method of  claim 3 , wherein the alkali metal ion salt comprises potassium nitrate (KNO 3 ). 
     
     
       5. The toughened glass fabrication method of  claim 1 , wherein heat-treating the raw glass comprises heat-treating the raw glass at a temperature ranging from 200 to 740° C. 
     
     
       6. The toughened glass fabrication method of  claim 1 , further comprising cooling the raw glass after heat-treating the raw glass. 
     
     
       7. The toughened glass fabrication method of  claim 6 , further comprising, after cooling the raw glass, removing the jigs from the raw glass and then cleaning the raw glass. 
     
     
       8. The toughened glass fabrication method of  claim 1 , wherein heat-treating the raw glass comprises heat-treating the raw glass on which the jigs are mounted in a heating chamber,
 wherein the raw glass comprises a plurality of raw glasses on which the jigs are mounted, the plurality of raw glasses being laid down and stacked on each other inside the heating chamber.